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Front suspension clunk

11K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  Maximuscastro 
#1 ·
I've read every thread on here about clunks and rattles that I can find. Can't come up with a conclusive answer.

I have a front right side metallic clunk. Happens at low speeds mostly, more on right turns where there is less load on that side. It's like a double clunk of two things hitting and releasing.

I recently replaced both front lower control arms with OEM. Everything was torqued correctly, then double checked. Car was aligned at dealer, then torque checked again by me. The noise is not coming from the new arms.

After experiencing the clunks, I put the car on the lift again, and checked the sway bar links, and the upper A arm bushings for play. Both are ok. I checked the torque on the shock nut and the A arm bracket mounts up in the engine bay.

I'm thinking shock bushing. Perhaps A arm bushing moving front to back (I checked this with the BIG bar, but pried against the inside to test it for failure in and out, not front to back).

I welcome all your thoughts.
 
#2 ·
I have been experiencing a similar clunk. Backing out of my driveway, cruising down 25 mph streets, but not on the e-way. I just this week got new shocks all around at 172,000 miles, but surprisingly I still have the clunk. My mechanic marveled at how good everything looked under my car. Obviously, like you, we both still have issues.
 
#3 ·
When you hear this clunking noise as your cruising down 25 mph streets, try applying the brake a little bit while still on the throttle, and see if the clunking goes away.
It maybe the brake caliper making the noise.
 
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#5 ·
The clunk happens on or off the brake, I get it over driveway/speedbumps while on brake, or right turns brake off after stop signs over our terrible pavement

Sway bar bushings, thanks, that is top on my list. I plan to check subframe bolts as well. I think I will put the big pry bar up through the upper a arm and pry front to back to see if I can get it to make noise.
 
#6 ·
I think instead of changing one part at a time you should do a proper suspension rebuild. Yeah, I know it isn't what you wanted to hear, nobody ever does. Denial is not just a river in Egypt . . .
 
#8 ·
Out in the garage where it is quiet... when I push on the right fender, I can hear a squeaking/creaking noise. If I do the same on the driver's side, there is no noise, but I can hear the noise from the passenger side. Clunky while moving, creaky while stationary. LMK if this is ringing a bell for anyone.

I'll get it back on the lift this week for more investigation...
 
#9 · (Edited)
I suspect ball joints and strut mounts, especially ball joints with squeaking and creaking. Think Ford/Lincoln/Mercury products. When their ball joints go bad they have a tendency to let everybody in ear shot know. I've seen more Ford cars on the side of the road with dislocated ball joints than anything else. A bad ball joint may not be easy to detect. I had one fail internally (break into pieces) that didn't move until the car was on a lift getting a lube job, when the grease was squeezed into the fitting the wheel moved outward about 1/4".

Also consider the possibility it's something other than the suspension. When my engine mounts wore out initially, I felt a bump that was more towards the mid rear of the car, until they were bad enough to register the double bump sensation up front, driver side up during load and down afterward.
 
#10 ·
I feel your pain, I have done all new shocks, new front psngr side lower A arm and wheel bearing (Bad ball joint). checked all bushings, replaced bad upper A arm on driver side. AND IS STILL have a clunk that just started about 2 weeks ago that sounds very similar to what you are describing. AAAGHHH. As soon as I decide to get under there I will let you know what I find.

By the way. if you start poking around in there make sure to be careful of the wheel hub/ bearing. the magnetic wheel sensor strip seems brittle at this point and I broke mine while doing the lower A arm. not bright on my part, I just wasn't thinking when I got in there.

This is a video I put together that might help.

https://youtu.be/OJNzS9WaTBc
 
#14 ·
No. I replaced both lower, because both were bad. I understand your methodology, I just don't work like that. I don't fire the parts cannon randomly. I learn what needs replacing, then I do the work. I don't "think" parts are bad when they are replaced, they are bad. Good parts don't get changed.
The comment above was for @dandunham.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I know that's what you think, but you're ignoring the reality that all suspension parts wear. You don't have a pristine group of suspension components with only one or two bad parts. Your experiences are starting to spell this out for you, but you're still in denial. People rebuild suspensions completely for good reason. "Firing the parts cannon" is just you justifying your lack of a thorough job.
 
#16 ·
Well, if that were the case wouldn't you have found the worn parts and fixed them with your last pry bar expedition? Look, I'm not trying to bust your balls here, but there are a number of members who have cars in the 120K mile or higher range. Suspension complaints are very common at this age, and keeping the big picture in mind when addressing these issues can't hurt.

Yes, we very much disagree on the practical reality of diagnosing moderately worn parts vs. completely wasted parts. Some worn suspension parts you can identify relatively easily, some that are less worn are hard to identify, but still degrade suspension performance.

I also disagree about suspension parts going indefinitely, I have never seen such a thing. Ball joints, rubber bushings, springs and shocks all wear.
 
#17 ·
Fixed. As previously posted, all other components were fine. I had suspected the sway bar bushing, since that hadn't been checked, and seemed to be where the noise was coming from. That bushing was fine, no cracks, no movement. I was close, though... right next to it, one of the steering rack bolts was loose. I had taken it partly out to provide clearance for control arm bolt removal (you need to raise the rack slightly). I tightened the bolt, but it is impossible to get a torque wrench in there. It needed more torque. A couple turns, no more clunk.

Hope this helps someone down the road.
 
#18 ·
I've read every thread on here about clunks and rattles that I can find. Can't come up with a conclusive answer.

I have a front right side metallic clunk. Happens at low speeds mostly, more on right turns where there is less load on that side. It's like a double clunk of two things hitting and releasing.

I recently replaced both front lower control arms with OEM. Everything was torqued correctly, then double checked. Car was aligned at dealer, then torque checked again by me. The noise is not coming from the new arms.

After experiencing the clunks, I put the car on the lift again, and checked the sway bar links, and the upper A arm bushings for play. Both are ok. I checked the torque on the shock nut and the A arm bracket mounts up in the engine bay.

I'm thinking shock bushing. Perhaps A arm bushing moving front to back (I checked this with the BIG bar, but pried against the inside to test it for failure in and out, not front to back).

I welcome all your thoughts.
I had the same issue I replaced the front Shocks and I notice the bushing they were bad too
 
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